Undefeated boxer who was forced to hide in the basement while House was shot now on track for title after fight on 5v5 card

Undefeated middleweight boxer Austin Williams has had some rise to get to where he is today.

The 28-year-old went from hiding from gunfire in his basement as a child to earning a spot on this weekend’s Matchroom 5v5 card.

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Williams, who has a 16-0 record since turning pro in 2019, faces Hamzah Sheeraz in Riyadh on Saturday.

And as much as 16 wins out of 16 over a five-year period may seem like a joyous rise to the top, getting to this point has been anything but easy for the Milwaukee-born star.

Williams moved to Houston, Texas when he was just 10 years old, but saw those early years in Wisconsin shape his life and his career as a fighter.

The star, nicknamed “Ammunition,” already remembered spending New Year’s Eve in his basement when he was young, as his house had been shot up that night.

Speaking with TV Ring in 2019 he said, “Milwaukee was a very difficult place.

“I’m happy with my start because it gave me a different kind of hunger. Knowing where I come from made me enjoy fighting.”

Williams took this passion for fighting with him to Houston, where he would face gang members in one-on-one fights to develop his skills.

He explained: “It was like I was a vigilante taking out these guys, but I actually really enjoyed fighting.

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“It was a win-win situation for me and it kept me out of gangs because I would have done it alone.

“Sometimes people think it was out of anger, but it was definitely because I loved the challenge. I loved the emotion.

“No other sport or anything could match the emotion I felt.

“That should have told me and my parents straight away that I should have done something like boxing, but no one in my family did that.

“When I look back, it’s crazy that I didn’t start fighting at a young age because I really loved it.

“I love the preparation; I love the nervousness before the first punch is thrown and things of that nature.”

There is great anticipation for Williams on the horizon as he faces the loss of his unbeaten record against Sheeraz, who has also never suffered defeat.

Sheeraz has a 19-0 record and at least one fighter will lose his perfect record on Saturday night.

Williams, who only stepped into the ring for the first time at the age of 19, is now aiming for the world title.

If the six-foot southpaw gets the better of Sheeraz, he will likely start a WBC championship belt fight against the winner of Carlos Adames and Terrell Gausha.

Speaking before Saturday’s fight, Williams said: “A win away [from a world title fight].

“I didn’t box for popularity or money; I got into this for greatness, and being one fight away from the world middleweight championship is everything.

“I’ve been a middleweight since the beginning, I was disciplined to stay there and to have this on the horizon is a dream come true.”

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